Gooseberry variety Grushenka – photo and description, reviews

Description of the bush and berries

The gooseberry bush has medium height and drooping shoots. The branches of the plant are densely covered with glossy green foliage. Inflorescences of 2-3 buds are formed on the shoots. The shape of the berries is round, expanding towards the bottom. During the ripening process, the peel changes color from light green with a reddish coating to purple. The average weight of Grushenka berries is 4-5 grams. In favorable conditions, you can harvest up to 6 kg of sweet gooseberries per season.

Advantages and disadvantages

The Grushenka variety is loved by gardeners for its unpretentiousness and abundance of sweet and sour berries. Gooseberries can bear fruit in a wide variety of climate zones. Before purchasing a seedling, you should consider the main positive and negative qualities of the variety.

Attention! The dense peel of Grushenka berries allows you to successfully use gooseberries for making jam, confitures and compotes. The berries retain their integrity even after heat treatment.

Gooseberry Grushenka: reviews from those who planted

Below are some of the reviews from gardeners who grow the thornless gooseberry variety Grushenka on their plots.

Elena, 40 years old: There are several bushes of this variety of gooseberry growing at our dacha. Although for my taste the ripe berries are not too sweet, the harvested fruit produces aromatic and tasty jam, and we also add the collected berries when cooking compotes. The Grushenka gooseberry does not require special care; I regularly water the bushes and add a couple of fertilizing treatments during the season - that’s all the work.

Olga, 39 years old: Gooseberries appeared in my garden several years ago. I planted the Grushenka variety, which was recommended to me by my neighboring summer residents. And I have never regretted it - the variety is resistant to diseases, I water it, feed the bushes and at the beginning of August I harvest good harvests. Another advantage of the variety is the absence of thorns, so picking berries is very easy. I would like to note one drawback - the berries disappear quickly, literally in a few days.

Good decorative appearance, excellent yield and ease of care - these are the main positive qualities of the Grushenka gooseberry

. The variety is quite promising; due to its resistance to frost, heat and drought, this shrub can be grown even in conditions unfavorable for other gooseberry varieties.

Characteristic

Hybrid Grushenka is one of the varieties of gooseberries that even novice gardeners can grow. The undemanding variety is suitable for planting in a summer cottage and does not require daily care. At the same time, the crop is characterized by stable productivity and high immunity.

Productivity

Gooseberry bushes are literally strewn with berries along the entire length of the shoots. The variety is characterized by the ability to quickly grow young shoots with a large number of fruit buds. Berries are produced both on annual branches of Grushenka and on adult shoots. The average yield of a bush often exceeds 6 kg. A large number of fruits forces gardeners to tie up heavy branches leaning towards the ground.

Drought resistance and winter hardiness

The Grushenka variety is recognized as a leader in its ability to tolerate low and high temperatures. Gooseberry bushes, even without additional shelter, can withstand 30° frosts. The flowering branches of the crop can also withstand short-term frosts, which makes it possible to grow the variety in regions with cold climates. Grushenka is not afraid of dry, hot weather.

Resistance to diseases and pests

The variety is characterized by high immunity to various diseases. Experts note that the Grushenka gooseberry is practically not affected by powdery mildew, septoria and viral diseases. This characteristic of the variety allows you to save effort on cultivation and obtain an environmentally friendly harvest without the use of chemicals.

Sometimes the hybrid is attacked by pests. One of the most common is the spider mite. The pest attacks the plant in dry weather. In addition, the variety suffers from aphids and moths.

Maturation period

Gooseberry Grushenka is a mid-season variety. The flowering of the crop begins in late spring. In the second half of July, the berries begin to ripen. Fruiting continues until mid-August. Thanks to the thick skin, the berries do not crack on the branches for a long time. This allows gardeners to collect fruits at a convenient time without fear of losing the harvest.

Transportability

Easy care and abundant fruiting contribute to the fact that many gardeners grow the variety for further sale. The berries retain their integrity and presentation for a long time. The peel protects the berries from mechanical damage, which makes the Grushenka variety suitable for transportation and prolongs its marketability.

History of variety selection

The gooseberry variety Grushenka was developed by Russian breeders in the 80s. For crossings we used: the Moscow Red variety, the hybrid form 59533 and the Northern Captain variety. Scientists pursued the goal of obtaining a thornless shrub with large berries that can withstand Russian frosts.

Looking ahead, it should be noted that they fully succeeded. A variety that is promising for the middle zone of the country and has an excellent taste has been introduced into practice. It is recommended to grow it in amateur gardens and industrial berry plantations.

This variety received such an interesting name because the Grushenka berries are narrowed at the top and strongly resemble a pear fruit.

Growing conditions

Gooseberries of the Grushenka variety are grown on almost any soil composition. The most preferred soil is loam. It is advisable to plant gooseberries in loose, nutritious soil with neutral acidity.

An adult plant does not tolerate transplantation well, so you should immediately take care of choosing a permanent location. The shrub is planted in a lighted place, light partial shade is allowed. To protect the seedlings from wind and drafts, you can place Grushenka plantings along the fence. Vegetable crops are considered the optimal predecessors of gooseberries. Bushes should not be planted after currants.

Preparing for winter

If you have properly cared for the shrub all season, then the adult plant does not need shelter for the winter, since it is famous for its frost resistance. In the fall, it is worth watering the gooseberries well for the winter and fertilizing them. Remove old branches and do preventive treatment against pests and diseases. The base must be covered with a dense layer of insulating mulch.

Young bushes certainly need additional shelter, especially if there is little snow. Place a pile of compost in the root zone. Use burlap or cardboard and spruce branches on top.

Landing Features

The preferred time for planting seedlings in a permanent place is the autumn months. Gooseberries should be planted 1-1.5 months before the onset of frost. During this time, it will have time to take root for a successful winter. Spring planting is carried out in the period between the thawing of the soil and the beginning of the growing season.

Grushenka seedlings are placed at a distance of 1-1.5 m from each other. This planting scheme will allow the gooseberry root system to develop correctly and prevent the ground part from intertwining.

High-quality seedlings must meet a number of characteristics:

• One-year-old seedlings should have small roots that are dense, without damage or peeling.
• Two-year-old bushes should be sold together with a lump of earth. The root collar of a high-quality seedling is smooth, without signs of rot.
• A young bush of the 2nd year of life should have several spreading branches with buds.
• The optimal length of shoots is 10-15 cm.

Gooseberries are planted in compliance with several rules that allow the bushes to quickly adapt to a new location.

• The seedling is soaked in a growth stimulator according to the instructions.
• For each bush, dig a hole 50 cm deep and in diameter in accordance with the volume of the root system.
• A bucket of humus and complex mineral fertilizer are poured into the hole, mixed thoroughly and sprinkled with a layer of earth.
• The seedling is buried at an angle so that the root collar is 5-6 cm underground.
• Gooseberry bushes are shed generously with water at the root, after compacting the soil.

A one-year-old Grushenka seedling, if all planting rules are followed, actively grows shoots and begins to bear fruit the very next year.

Reproduction

On the site, the crop is propagated by cuttings or layering. Seed propagation is not used because it is labor intensive. In addition, this method may not convey the characteristics stated in the description of the Grushenka gooseberry.

Cuttings

The procedure is carried out as follows:

1. Cut a cutting 15 cm long.
2. The lower part is dusted with root.
3. Planted in the ground at an angle of 45°.
4. Watered.

Soon young bushes will form from the cuttings.

By layering

To reproduce using this method, dig a small groove near the bush. A shoot is placed in it and pinned. During the season, the contact area is watered. When new bushes develop, they are separated from the parent plant and replanted.

Gooseberry propagation by layering

Grushenka is a gooseberry variety with fruits widened towards the bottom. The bushes are unpretentious in care. The berries are purple. With properly executed agricultural technology, you can expect abundant fruiting from late July to mid-August.

Rules of care

The variety does not require much attention during the growing process. Fruiting continues even without the participation of the gardener, while the quality and quantity of berries decreases. In order for Grushenka to produce the maximum harvest of tasty gooseberries, it is enough to pay attention to watering, fertilizing and formative pruning of the bushes.

Important! The variety tolerates drought well, but is intolerant to excessive soil moisture. Stagnation of water leads to the development of fungal diseases.

Support

Young, thin branches of the Grushenka gooseberry are tied to a support. They can be damaged by the weight of the berries or from strong winds. At a distance of 15-20 cm from the root collar of the gooseberry seedling, dig up 3 pegs, tie them with twine, and secure the branches of the bush between the supports.

The crown of an adult Grushenka bush also needs the support of branches. Under the weight of the filling berries, they bend towards the ground, which can lead to fungal damage to the crop. The support is adjusted as the plant grows. At the time of harvest ripening, Grushenka needs additional support, due to the fact that a significant part of the branches is located horizontally.

Top dressing

The Grushenka variety does not require frequent feeding. It is enough to apply complex mineral fertilizers to the soil 1-2 times a year. The amount of fertilizing depends on the nutritional value of the soil and the condition of the plant. Fertilizers added to the soil during planting are enough for gooseberries for the entire season. Increased soil acidity can be normalized using dolomite flour or wood ash. In autumn, superphosphate can be applied under gooseberry bushes.

Bush pruning

The Grushenka variety needs 2 types of pruning: sanitary and formative. The optimal time for the procedure is early spring. During this period, it is advisable to shorten the bush by 1/3 in height and remove all damaged and diseased branches. More information about spring pruning is described in the video.

The variety is characterized by rapid growth of young shoots. During the season, it is necessary to ensure that overgrown branches do not obscure each other’s sunlight. Lack of lighting will lead to loss of taste of the berries.

Reproduction

Gooseberry Grushenka is propagated by cuttings or layering. Cuttings can be carried out from mid-summer to early autumn.

• From an adult bush, a cutting 15 cm long with several buds is cut at an acute angle.
• The twig is treated with a root formation stimulator.
• The prepared cutting is placed at an angle of 45° in loose soil so that at least 2-3 buds remain on the surface.
• The seedling is watered regularly until new shoots begin to form on it.

An easier way to propagate Grushenka gooseberries is by layering. To do this, you need to bend the one-year-old shoot to the ground and pin it with a metal bracket. The contact area is sprinkled with soil and watered. As soon as the seedling grows several young branches, it is separated from the mother bush.

Preparing for winter

The cold-resistant qualities of the Grushenka variety allow gooseberries to winter without additional shelter. Preparatory work before the onset of winter:

• sanitary pruning of old, diseased shoots;
• treating shrubs from pest larvae with Bordeaux mixture;
• removal of debris, fallen leaves and mulch layer.

If necessary, you can apply mineral fertilizers to each gooseberry bush.

Pruning gooseberries Grushenka

Every year you should carry out sanitary pruning of Grushenka gooseberry bushes, removing dried, broken and weak branches

. You also need to remove most of the branches that grow inside the bush to prevent it from thickening.

It is important to know!

Pruning of the Grushenka gooseberry is carried out in early spring before the sap begins to flow or in the fall after all the foliage has fallen.

In the fall, be sure to carry out moisture-recharging watering of the Grushenka gooseberry and add a layer of mulch at least 10 cm thick. Humus or dry leaves can be used as a mulching material.

Pruning gooseberries in spring - video

Pruning gooseberries in autumn

Diseases and pests

The variety is highly resistant to diseases. The main concern of the gardener is to protect the Gooseberry Grushenka from pest invasion. The table provides a description of dangerous insects and measures to combat them.

Advice! An effective and safe means of preventing aphids is garlic infusion. Chop 300 g of garlic cloves in a bucket of water and spray the plant.

Harvesting

The first berries from the Grushenka gooseberry can be picked at the end of June. The harvest period can last until the beginning of August, and all this time you will be provided with fruits of excellent quality. You can remove 6–7 kg of berries from one bush.

The berries themselves have a set of useful and nutritious substances necessary for the human body. There is ascorbic acid, vitamin E, beta-carotene, PP vitamins, and B vitamins - riboflavin, thiamine and folic acid. As well as microelements such as zinc, nickel, molybdenum, manganese, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus and others. This amazing combination of components makes it possible to use gooseberries in the treatment of hypertension, anemia, obesity and other diseases.

The harvest on a gooseberry bush is sometimes so large that the leaves are hidden behind the berries

Thanks to their excellent taste, Grushenka berries are good not only when freshly picked, but also in all kinds of preserves, jams, compotes and other preparations.